KENNEDY PRIMED FOR SUNDAY DEBUT

Ian Kennedy went to work moments after officially joining the Padres on Friday afternoon.

Before he could meet all of his teammates or sit down for a long chat with manager Bud Black, Kennedy was headed to the bullpen for a throwing session geared to making him ready for Sunday afternoon’s Padres debut against the Yankees at Petco Park.

The right-hander was looking forward to a fresh start, although he admitted he was still a little surprised by Wednesday’s trade that transformed him from a Diamondback to a Padre.

“There was a lot of emotion,” the 28-year-old said of the trade that brought him to San Diego in exchange for left-handed reliever Joe Thatcher, minor league reliever Matt Stites and a Compensation Round B draft choice.

“You put a lot into the team you are with, so when you get traded it’s emotional. I’m happy to be here, though. So you could say I have mixed emotions.”

Even though he knows the Padres brought in the fences at Petco Park, Kennedy said the Padres’ home is still “a pitcher’s park” — particularly when compared to the Diamondbacks’ home of Chase Field in Phoenix.

And he knows the Padres tradition for pitching.

“They always have good pitching,” Kennedy said of the Padres. “And the bullpen has always been solid. As a starter, I love the bullpen. The team is fast and they play good defense.”

This has been Kennedy’s worst season. He was 3-8 with a 5.23 earned run average with the Diamondbacks.

“I felt my stuff has been fine,” Kennedy said of his 2013 results to date. “The problem was location. I was missing spots.

“I was having trouble with runners on base, leaving pitches up. I just wasn’t as sharp with my command. I was struggling, so coming here is a fresh start.”

Kennedy moves directly into the Padres’ rotation, replacing Sean O’Sullivan, who was sent to the bullpen the same day that his wife, Sabrina, gave birth to the couple’s first child (a daughter named Hailey Marie).

“I noticed that, too,” said O’Sullivan, who was 0-2 in three starts for the Padres with a 2.60 ERA since being promoted from Triple-A Tucson.

“I still consider myself a starter. I’ve yet to go out there with my best stuff. But I’m here and I’m happy and ready to do whatever they need me to do.”

Black likes what Kennedy and O’Sullivan add to the mix in their new roles with the Padres.

“I like the reliability with Ian,” said Black. “He has a presence. He gives the club a good feeling ... we’re going to win. He brings that type of talent.”

“Sean is capable of the resiliency needed in the bullpen. His style of pitching won’t change. Maybe the fastball will play up a bit.”

Notable

• With Thatcher gone, Colt Hynes becomes the left-handed specialist in the Padres bullpen. “He has the capability to get left-handers out,” said Black. “He dropped his arm angle. We like the arm, we like the stuff.”

• Left fielder Carlos Quentin missed a third straight start with a sore left knee, although Black thought he might be available to pinch hit.